Every year we see a crop of promising freshmen begin their varsity careers on softball fields in and around Bucks County. But this spring? The Class of 2029 might be the most impressive we’ve seen in a while. These rookies earned starting roles on top teams, pitched in the biggest games of the season, and came up with clutch hits or defensive plays.
Check out some of the most promising freshmen softball players here, then, be sure to vote for the top freshman softball player from the Class of 2029.
Avery Oliveti, Bensalem
The pitcher started her varsity career with a three-hitter against Springfield, giving up one earned run while striking out four in her first start. Against Westtown, she didn’t give up a hit or run through three innings, striking out four in the win. In a win over Lower Moreland, she pitched a complete-game shutout, giving up only five hits.
Ashley Helmsetter, CB East
As the Patriots’ primary pitcher, Helmsetter recorded a 4.50 ERA over 50 innings with 36 strikeouts. She also contributed at the plate, driving in 10 runs and scoring nine times.
Sydney Hahn, CB East
The shortstop’s varsity career couldn’t have started much better. For the season, Hahn hit .385 with 25 hits and a team-best 25 RBIs. She hit eight doubles and six home runs, leading the Patriots in both categories. She also saw time in the circle, where she was just as impressive, finishing with a 2.13 ERA in 25 innings.
Makala Burkholder, CB West
Burkholder had an impressive rookie season at the plate, hitting .285 with six doubles and 16 RBIs. A disciplined hitter, she drew 10 walks and had the fifth highest on-base percentage on the team. She also did damage on the basepaths, with a team-high six stolen bases and 12 runs scored.
Arianna Flores, CB South
Flores made the most of her playing time, with 11 runs scored, seven stolen bases and six walks in 48 plate appearances while playing right field.
Avery Ochs, Council Rock South
A consistent and reliable athlete who can play multiple positions, Ochs showed she can hit for both power and average. In the Golden Hawks’ two district ayoff games, Ochs went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.
Ashlyn Curtier, Council Rock South
An opening-day starter, the shortstop delivered defensively and offensively thanks to her strong arm, athleticism and consistency. At the plate, she can hit for power as well as a average. She had a home run, a double and three RBIs in a win against Pennsbury, and in the district playoffs, she was 2-for-2 with two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks in a first-round win over Boyertown.
Katie Straub, Souderton
After an injury to Souderton’s starting pitcher, Straub stepped into the circle in late March, and by the end of the season, she was pitching in the biggest games of the year. Straub, who shared pitching duties with sophomore Maddi Mott, finished the regular season with a 0.91 ERA. In the district playoffs, she gave up 10 hits and three earned runs while striking out 18 over 14 innings, including the Class 6A title game against Owen J. Roberts, where she held the Wildcats to one hit in three innings. As the team’s leadoff hitter, she batted .400 for the season.
Brooklyn Kavanaugh, Upper Moreland
Kavanaugh compiled a .415 batting average, second highest on the team, and had nine RBIs.
Jillian Sabatino, Germantown Academy
Sabatino was double trouble for opponents as she excelled in the circle and at the plate. For the season, she hit .429 with 18 RBIs, and she was the team’s primary pitcher, throwing 72 innings. She continued to improve as the season went on, pitching three straight complete games in one week, including a one-hit shutout against St. Hubert’s, and was voted the Phillyburbs’ Athlete of the Week. Against Inter-Ac rival Notre Dame, she gave up three hits and one run while striking out seven and driving in five runs for the win.
Keira Pulli, Germantown Academy
The Patriots’ catcher also made an impression in front of the plate, hitting .537 with 29 hits, seven doubles, 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored.
Zoe Manning, Germantown Academy
Manning wasn’t actually a freshman last season – as a member of the Class of 2030, she earned a rare starting position for GA’s varsity squad, and looking at her numbers, it’s easy to see why. Manning led the Patriots with a .622 average, driving in 20 runs and scoring 19 times. She hit a team-best nine doubles and had five home runs. In addition, Manning pitched 25 innings, giving up 23 hits while striking out 44 with a 2.10 ERA.
Keira Secoda, Neshaminy
The outfielder batted an impressive .528, the second-highest average on the team, with 19 hits and 19 runs scored. She went 4-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and three runs scored in a win over Bensalem.
Bella Pistilli, Gwynedd Mercy
The Monarchs found their ace in Pistilli, who boasted a 1.81 ERA through 76 innings in the circle. She gave up just 18 earned runs, and most impressively, she racked up 156 strikeouts.
Paige Fidishun, Pennsbury
Pitching was the one question mark for the Falcons heading into the season, and Fidishun answered that question emphatically. She started the season with a six-hit, complete-game shutout and went on to win 19 more games and surpassed 100 strikeouts in early May. She dealt North Penn its first loss of the season in mid-April, giving up five hits and two runs in a complete-game win. In the district playoffs, Fidishun allowed six hits and no earned runs in a second-round win over Spring-Ford, and in a PIAA-qualifying game, she gave up six hits, one walk and two runs. She also had big moments at the plate, such as a game-winning hit in the eighth inning against Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Kaelyn Crocker, Pennsbury
Crocker was a key player in Pennsbury’s playoff run, making key plays on both offense and defense. In the Falcons’ second-round district playoff win against Spring-Ford, she sprinted down the left field line to make a diving catch, saving a run. She hit a home run against Haverford in the district quarterfinals, and she was 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in a playback win over Methacton.
Melanie Mahler, Harry S. Truman
Mahler earned a spot in the rotation after several impressive outings. She tossed a complete-game, two-hit shutout against William Tennent, striking out nine while also contributing three hits and three RBIs. Against Abington, she threw a two-hit shutout while scoring three runs on three hits, and facing Wissahickon, Mahler gave up five hits and two runs while striking out eight in a complete-game win.
Peyton Hurlock, Plumstead Christian
Hurlock led the Panthers in nearly every offensive category, posting a .470 average with 32 hits, 27 RBIs, nine doubles and 16 stolen bases, all of which were team highs. She also scored 32 runs and hit two triples and two doubles. Many of those hits came in clutch situations – she hit a two-out RBI-double in the seventh for a walk-off win against Calvary Christian, she had another walk-off RBI double against Delco Christian, and she came through with another seventh inning go-ahead RBI double against Collegium.
Olivia Domico, Archbishop Wood
Domico energized the Vikings’ lineup with her .315 average, 17 hits, 12 RBIs and 16 runs scored, in addition to impressive fielding at shortstop. In a game against PCL rival Conwell-Egan, Domico hit a game-winning three-run homer.
Payton Clerkin, Lansdale Catholic
Clerkin was the Crusaders’ top pitcher this season, throwing 50 innings with 35 strikeouts, highlighted by her complete-game one hitter in a win over Little Flower. She was also impactful at the plate, hitting .419 with nine RBIs.
Sadie Coleman, Lansdale Catholic
Coleman led the Crusaders with a .435 batting average, driving in eight runs and scoring 10 times. She hit a team-high four doubles, along with one triple and one home run.
Taylor Carney, Harry S. Truman
The rebuilding Tigers have found the cornerstone of their offense in Carney, who piled up the hits all season. Highlights include three hits, with two doubles, and five RBIs in a win over Faith Christian; three doubles and five RBIs in a victory against Bensalem; in a win over Cheltenham, she went 3-for-3 with a triple and three RBIs. She had several games with three or more hits, including going 4-for-4 with two RBIs, three stolen bases and four runs scored.
Juliet Freer, New Hope-Solebury
Freer hit a three-run home run in the Lions’ district semifinal win, capping a season where she hit .354 with 23 hits, 15 RBIs and 12 runs scored, along with a team-high eight doubles.
Morgan Foster, New Hope-Solebury
The speedy Foster fit right in at the top of the lineup, scoring a team-high 21 runs while driving in 15 runs.
Annabella Capriotti, Bristol
Starting at third base for the Warriors, Carpriotti hit .483, drove in 30 runs and scored 33 times for the District One 2A champions. In the PIAA quarterfinals, she doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in the Warriors’ win. Capriotti also saw some time in the circle, pitching 13 innings with a miniscule 0.54 ERA.
Nadia Wilt, Palisades
Wilt didn’t waste any time establishing herself – in the first game of the season, she hit a three-run home run, and in the next game, she drove in five runs. She finished the season with a .469 average and a team-high 25 RBIs and four home runs.
Kendra Leidtke, Palisades
Leidtke started the season as the Pirates’ opening day pitcher, where she gave up four hits and no earned runs over five innings. She was the Pirates’ primary starter, pitching 101 innings, and also had a big impact at the plate, where she hit .426 with five doubles.
Bella Taylor, Dock Mennonite
A Phillyburbs’ Athlete of the Week winner, Taylor made an impact at the plate, where she hit .300 with 21 RBIs, three home runs and 17 runs scored, and in the circle, where she posted a 3.95 ERA while striking out 74 batters in 51 innings. Coach Amy Gahman noted that Taylor “has been impressive from both an offensive and defensive perspective, remaining calm and composed on the mound and delivering aggressive, timely and powerful offense.” During the district playoffs, Taylor pitched four innings without allowing a hit or walk, and hit a two-run home run to help the Pioneers clinch the Class 1A title.
Charlie Dernoski, Villa Joseph Marie
Tasked with hitting leadoff while playing a variety of positions – in the infield, outfield and at catcher – Dernoski excelled in her tough role, hitting .385 with a team-high 25 runs, eight doubles, two home runs and 14 walks.
Markella Hadgimallis, Villa Joseph Marie
She came up big in the postseason, hitting a pair of doubles, driving in three runs and scoring twice in the Jems’ District One Class 3A championship game win, and she hit a two-run double in a first-round PIAA win.
Suzie Adams, Villa Joseph Marie
The outfielder showed she could do it all at the plate. In the first round of the PIAA playoffs, Adams went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs, three stolen bases and a triple to help the Jems to the win. For the season, she drove in 13 runs and scored 12 times.
Katie Stanton, Villa Joseph Marie
Stanton made an immediate impact on the Jems offense, and she ended the season as the team leader in average (.467), hits (21) and RBIs (16).
Grace Kelly, Conwell-Egan
The shortstop was a tough out against PCL opponents. Against Neumann-Goretti, she drew a walk in all three of her plate appearances, including two with the bases loaded; facing Little Flower, she had two hits, drove in two runs and scored twice; she doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice against Lansdale Catholic; and she had two hits and two RBIs against Ryan, all wins for the Eagles.
Ila Schwalm, Quakertown
Schwalm hit .350 with 10 RBIs and four doubles for the Panthers.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: These freshmen had major impacts on their softball teams in Bucks County
